#7: The Searchers

The Searchers (Ford, 1956)

When I'm watching the Searchers I imagine it being aired nightly at Fox News headquarters. It presents the view of the world that crowd considers idyllically American. Men are men, women are women, children are innocent. There's one culture that nobody questions. Arguments between men are solved by beating each other up then having a drink together. There are lines like 'Living as an Indian isn't really living'. Then there's John Wayne, the unshacklable badass loner who can dominate any situation purely by exuding manly charisma. These are the reasons I think it's widely considered (And by TSPDT) Ford's best film. It's the American ideal that a sizeable chunk of the country pines for.

The plot is fairly simple. John Wayne arrives at his brother's ranch having served in the Confederacy. He's bitter and angry about the defeat. Shortly after, a tribe of Indians attack, killing his brother and his entire family except two daughters who they capture. He and a young family friend spend five years chasing after the Indians and his neices. He wants to get revenge against the Indians, but the young friend only wants to save the girl. Now, the older daughter they killed almost immediately, but the younger girl they raised as one of their own. Wayne thinks 'She's not white, not anymore', and plans to kill her, but the young friend still sees her as the little girl she used to be and wants to stop him. This is the main issue of the movie, and it all comes out as an exploration of what it means to be a man, what it means to be American and what it means to be human. Like many John Ford films it's got a sense of emotional realness, but also like many John Ford films it puts cultural idealism above cultural realness. It's a great film, but those predisposed to watch Fox News would like it a lot more than those who aren't.

Rating: *** 1/2 / 5

45/101

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